Constitutional Bench told: Punjab makes Holy Quran teaching compulsory in schools

ISLAMABAD: The federal government and the governments of Punjab and Balochistan on Wednesday filed their response in the Supreme Court on the constitutional petition seeking legislation to make the teaching of the Holy Quran compulsory in educational institutions.

A five-member constitutional bench, headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan and comprising Justices Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar, and Justice Aamer Farooq, heard the case. The governments of Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) however, sought more time to submit their replies.

Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail while addressing the petitioner Aneeq Khattana said that according to the federal government’s response, steps have already been taken to introduce Quranic education “Why should the court interfere in legislation if the government is already working on it,” Justice Mandokhail asked. The petitioner, however, responded that if the governments were actively working on this, he wouldn’t have been pursuing this case for the past five years. He submitted that as per the law, only a consensus-based translation of the Holy Quran can be implemented adding that the federal government must approve the translation. “No province or the federal government has attached any official notification in their responses,” he contended.

Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail however, remarked that when a child is born, they first learn their mother tongue, then Urdu and English adding that nowadays, everyone is chasing to learn Chinese. “What more do you want to teach children,” Justice Mandokhail asked the petitioner.

The petitioner, however, referred to Article 31 of the Constitution and submitted that the Quran’s education and religious studies are distinct from other learning. Later, the court allowed the governments of Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to submit their respective replies and adjourned the case for date-in-office (indefinite period).

In its reply, the Government of Punjab prayed to the apex court to dismiss the plea to the extent that the provincial government has promulgated “The Punjab Compulsory Teaching of the Holy Quran Act, 2018.

It submitted that certain amendments have been made in the Act through Amendment Act, 2021 adding that according to the Act, it is mandatory to teach Naazrah Quran from Grades I to V and the Translation of the Holy Quran from Grades VI to XII to all students of public and private schools in Punjab. Therefore, the Government of Punjab has fulfilled its Constitutional obligation,” the reply submitted.